


I Never Did Anything Out Of The Blue

by Velocity_Owl87



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bittersweet Ending, Canonical Character Death, Car Accidents, Caretaking, Coming Out, Cousin Incest, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Introspection, Jon Snow is a Targaryen, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Trauma, Misunderstandings, Physical Disability
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 04:32:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5729641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velocity_Owl87/pseuds/Velocity_Owl87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robb Stark and Jon Snow are cousins who are friends despite the distance that their different lives has put between them. Both of them have strong feelings for each other that don't come to light until a tragic event places Jon in the Stark home and with it, an opportunity for them to finally admit their feelings to each other.</p><p>If only things could be that simple.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Never Did Anything Out Of The Blue

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to play around with a modern AU and with a different portrayal of Lyanna and Jon's life and the relationship that Robb and Jon would have if it had been allowed in the right time, right place kind of situation. I have had my suspicions about Robb and Jon (Theon too) for a while and yes, this was written partly about those suspicions. I did research on the trauma and aftermath, but if there are errors, I do apologize and will fix them. I'm not in that field, so hence if the inaccuracies pop up, this is the reason. 
> 
> This is set in Northern England in what could possibly be Sheffield, but most definitely is in Yorkshire. I have meandered about in this area and I have tried to be faithful to the slang, but I could be wrong.
> 
> Title from "Ashes to Ashes" and it has been proofed barring the medical stuff.

Robb had been deeply asleep, dreaming about one of the places that Jon had sent him pictures of when the loud knocking on his bedroom door woke him up. He was still too out of it to think about why someone was knocking on his bedroom door in the middle of the night. He woke up fully when he saw his mother standing in the hallway with a worried look in her eyes that she couldn't quite hide with the tired smile she gave him.

“Mum? Why are you knocking on my door? Did something happen?”

His mother's face twitched as she took a deep breath and began to explain why she was standing out in the hall.

“Robb, your father and I received news of your aunt and Jon.”

Robb's eyes widened in shock at the bluntly stated news. They weren’t expecting any news of Lyanna or her son Jon for awhile, as far as Robb knew. With his aunt’s work, it was anyone’s guess when they would be visiting, something Robb hated, since he missed his cousin and wished that they could see each other more often and more regularly than they did.

“What happened? Are they okay?”

He asked, his voice raspy with sleep and fear.

“Your father just got the call from the hospital. We don't know much other than they were in a car accident. We'll let you know more when we find out. Tell your sisters and brothers when they wake up and don't worry about school. Hopefully we should be back soon. Allright?”

Robb, despite being wide-eyed and horribly pale at the blow of the news, nodded. His mother reached out and gave him a weak smile before reaching out to cup his chin with her hand.

“Thank you. We'll call you as soon as get news.”

Robb nodded again, in a vague and unfocused way before closing the door. He wanted to wait until he was sure that his mother was gone before he let his emotions get the best of him. Jon wasn't just his cousin. Jon was his first friend. The first person that when he looked at, he knew that this was the one person he couldn't imagine not having beside him for the rest of his life. To know that he was in the hospital and fighting for his life gutted Robb. He cursed himself for not being more awake and forcing his parents to take him with them.

He felt the tears come then and he tried to stifle his sobs. But they came thick and fast and he found himself collapsing against his door. He buried his face into his hands and bawled until his nose was clogged and his eyes were swollen and raw. He blew his nose on the sleeve of his sleepshirt and kept crying for Jon, for the uncertain future and for never having had the chance to say goodbye to his cousin. He didn't want to be so pessimistic, but a car accident was usually not something that people usually bounced back from. Not if the hospital was calling the middle of the night and wasn't giving any updates on the condition.

He let himself continue just for a few more minutes until he looked at the clock. In a few hours, his siblings were going to wake up and need to be taken care of. In a few hours, he was going to find out if Jon was alive or not. Until that happened, he needed to get his shit together.

So he took a jagged, shuddering breath and stood up. He scrubbed his face clear of tears and pulled his shirt off. He threw it into his dirty clothes hamper and went his bathroom. He took a fast shower, got dressed and dug his phone out of his uniform pocket. He shoved it in his track bottom pocket and ignored his uniform. It wasn't as if he was going to go to school today.

Robb lay down then, his eyes drooping. Despite his grief, his body finally gave up the ghost and he was out like a light.

His alarm woke him up at the regular time and he felt only marginally better. The worry about Jon was still on his mind, but it was a bearable weight rather than the crushing one he had experienced before. It was enough to get him up and out of bed to hustle his younger siblings up.

“None of us are going to school today. Mum and Dad said we could stay at home.”

He told them all as he got them settled at the breakfast bar before he got out the eggs, bacon and a loaf of bread from the fridge.

Sansa looked perturbed, while Arya and the little ones were just glad to get time off of school.

“Why?”

Bran asked, his eyes wide as he spoke.

“Cause Aunt Lyanna and Jon were in an accident. Mum and Dad went to the hospital. I'm in charge and I say that until we get some news, we stay put.”

Sansa and Arya looked at each other, tears in their eyes that they dashed away quickly. Bran said nothing and Rickon was happily too busy gnawing on the apple that Robb had given him to keep him busy.

“Are you going to make breakfast at least?”

Arya then asked, making Robb laugh shortly.

“That I can do while we wait.”

He set to making eggs and frying the bacon, while telling Arya and Sansa to make the porridge and the tea when the call came.

He knew that his mum wasn't expecting him to answer right away, so he couldn't blame her for being surprised at how breathless and on edge he sounded. He had drank at least two cups of sweet black tea while he cooked, so he supposed that was the reason why he sounded a bit on edge.

Arya and Sansa were arguing about something or other until Robb waved his hand to get them to be quiet.

“Mum? What did they say?” Robb asked in a slightly quavering voice.

“Your auntie's gone, Robb. She was killed instantly when another car smashed into hers.”

Robb exhaled loudly and rubbed his forehead roughly as he fought to get himself under enough control to speak again.

“And Jon? How is he? Please tell me he's still...”

His mum sighed before she spoke, her tone calm and measured as she did so.

“Robb, I'm not going to lie to you. He's been injured badly. He's in surgery right now and there might be a chance that he won't-”

“He'll make it!” Robb cried out, his voice cracking slightly at the end. “Jon's strong! He's going to make it! Don't...Don't say that he's going to die! He's a Stark! He won't!”

There was an explosion of sound behind him, with Sansa and Arya leading and Bran and Rickon wailing at Robb's words.  He turned around and glared at them, shutting them up. His breathing was ragged and he was honestly surprised that they had shut up long enough for him to hear what else his mother had to say.

“Robb...I'm not telling you this to be cruel. Only to be prepared. Jon was hurt badly. I'd rather give you the truth than give you false hope. I don't wish him ill, but I want you all to be ready in case...In case the worst comes to pass.”

There was a long silence before Robb mumbled a reply and he heard his mother's quiet sigh of relief that made him wonder if she had heard him before she left with his dad to the hospital. He pushed the thought out of his mind and concentrated on the situation at hand.

“I know. I just don't want to even think about it being possible. It's _Jon_ , mother.”

His mother made a small noise of agreement at that.

“I know, Robb. Believe me, I do. That's why your father and I will stay here until we know how he will be. Tell your brothers and sisters the news. I'll make the calls and I will update you when we get more news. Can you do that for me, Robb?”

He wanted to say that he couldn't. That he wanted for her to fix it and make everything all right and bring Jon home and his aunt as well.

He didn't though. He simply swallowed his fear and replied like he was supposed to, as the eldest Stark boy.

Like how his mother had always expected him to behave, as the eldest and the heir to the Stark welding business. He had never asked himself what would happen if he ever refused his mother. He never had the courage to. Just like he wouldn’t ever have the courage to tell her that he had deeper feelings for his cousin than just friendship.

“Yes. All of it.”

He closed his eyes and hoped that his mother hadn't heard the tremor in his voice when he answered.

“Good. I love you, Robb. Give my love to your siblings.”

He looked at his siblings and nodded at them. They lost the stricken look at his calmness, trusting him that everything was going to be well after all.

“I will. Bye mum.”

“Bye, sweetling. Don't worry about school. I'll call and explain the situation.”

Robb breathed a sigh of relief. Not that he was concerned about school at the moment, but he was in his second last year. The last thing he needed was to fuck up his entire year on top of worrying about Jon.

“Thanks, mum. I'll talk to you later.”

He hung up and faced his siblings.

“Well?” Arya asked.  

Robb blew out a deep breath and seemed to deflate upon himself.

“Get everyone a cuppa. We're all going to need it.”

~*~*~*~*~

Robb forced himself to remain calm and herd his siblings through the usual morning routine, despite them not going to school. Normally, that would have been a boon for Arya and Rickon, but today was different. Mum and Dad weren't around and their beloved aunt was dead. And their cousin...His Jon...

He refused to think of Jon being close to death. Jon, his other half. His closest relationship with someone, other than Theon himself.  Despite it not being something of a regular nature, it was always fun to have Jon and Theon with him in the summer term. The idea of facing the summer without either one of them was simply something he couldn't even fathom.

So he didn't think of it. Instead, he got his siblings and himself occupied and fed when it was needed. He was glad that Arya didn't snap at Sansa and instead helped out with Bran and Rickon while Sansa helped him out in the kitchen and with clean up duty once the simple stew that his mother had taught them to make had been prepared. Despite the usual bad blood between the two of them, they understood that today wasn't the day for that to happen. So they thankfully cooperated and when Robb had asked them to amuse Rickon and Bran, they had nodded and herded their younger siblings to the family room.

Robb was left alone then and he simply made himself yet another cup of tea. He didn't quite want it, but he did recall his auntie saying that tea helped everything. Tears came to his eyes as he made the tea. He was going to miss his unpredictable auntie. He drank it down, trying to will the tears that were on the verge of spilling back. He couldn't cry right now. Not yet.

He drank a bit of the tea and nearly jumped when his mobile barked at him. Jon had programmed that ring tone as a joke last summer. It had been funny back then. If Jon...He slammed the door shut on that and answered.

“Robb? Where the hell are you? You know we've got Lab today. Wait...Is the great Robb Stark finally cutting class?”

Theon's voice hissed over the cacophony of the halls of their comprehensive during the first class exchange.

“I'm not! Mum called in to get us all excused.”

“Why? Did something happen?” Theon asked, his voice only just taking a tone of concern. Robb was sure that Theon acted like a dick for half of the time because of the shitty things that had happened to him before he was taken in by his uncle. He didn't speak of them, but Robb knew that Theon's scars and disassociation in certain situations weren't simply from the run of the mill traumas. Even though they were close friends, Robb only knew a fraction of what had happened and Theon trusted him. So he did his best to not push until Theon was ready. Even if it did take their entire lives for that to happen.

“My aunt died in a car crash this morning and my-Jon's touch and go at the hospital.”

Theon whistled softly. “Yeah, that would do it. Shit son. Sucks to hear it. Your aunt was stone fox and Jon's an allright guy. You want me to grab the notes for you then?”

Robb wasn't offended at Theon's words. The fact that he had acknowledged his aunt's death was a big thing for him. At least he hadn't made any horribly morbid jokes as he used to when they were much younger. He still winced when he remembered the one he had made about his dad.

“Yeah. I don't know how long I'll be gone. I'll keep you posted.”

“You bet your ass you will, Stark. Take it easy, Robb. And listen...you know my number if anything comes up, yeah?”

“Yeah. Go to class.”

“Yes mum.”

It was a small bit of levity, but it was much needed. Crude, but at least it had stopped him from crying right then and there.

The tears did come after the tea was finished, though.

He pretended they weren't that when Sansa came into the kitchen and asked for his help with Rickon.

~*~*~*~*~

It wasn't until the evening that Ned and Catelyn finally came home to find pizza boxes scattered all over the kitchen and their five children looking guilty as they were caught in the middle of devouring their respective slices. Normally, it would have been a big deal, but today wasn't a normal day.

“How is he?”

Robb blurted out, not wanting to waste anymore time in the hideous limbo that they had been in ever since his mother's first call. They had gotten another call letting them know that Jon was out of surgery, but still unstable. The last call was that they were coming home.

That had been an hour ago and Robb didn't think that his nerves could take anymore of not knowing.

“He's stable and improving.”

“So Jon's going to be okay?” Arya asked hopefully.

“We won't know for sure until tomorrow, but the odds are better. Much better than they were before.”

Catelyn replied gently, not wanting to burst her youngest daughter's hopes.

Arya's eyes filled with tears and her long face got red as she opened her mouth to protest. But Ned had seen the signs and stepped.

“When twenty-four hours pass we'll know for sure. We just can't take the chance and lie to you, Arya. We're worried for him too, but we won't lie to you and say he's better when we just don't know.”

“Arya...It may seem mean, but what would be worse? Us saying Jon will be okay and then him not being that? Or knowing from the beginning the chances? Which do you prefer?”

Arya looked at her brother and closed her mouth. The colour died down in her face, but the tears remained, only to be dashed angrily away before she dropped her slice onto her plate and rushed to her room, slamming the door behind her. Catelyn sighed and made to go after her, but Ned stopped her and went himself.

Catelyn instead pulled Rickon and Bran into her lap and kissed their heads as she silently rocked them. Sansa and Robb exchanged glances, but said nothing.

There wasn't anything that they could say. So Robb just ate his pizza and Sansa followed suit.

He just wished that Jon could have been there to share the food with him instead of being in a hospital hovering between life and death.

~*~*~*~*~

When Robb showed up to school he couldn't express how relieved he was to see Theon basically being himself. Theon stood leaning against the wall of the school on the side that faced the parking lot, a cigarette hanging loosely from his hand and his phone in his hand as he affected to be the perfect picture of nonchalance. But Robb knew quite well that it was only a pose. Just like the artful disarray of his school uniform was a careful ruse to make everyone underestimate the sharp mind and a dark sense of humour underneath. He understood why Theon felt the need to have such an armour. Robb figured that if he had grown up in the family like the Greyjoys, he'd be as mistrustful and messed up as Theon. Maybe possibly even more. He didn't care to test the theory out and simply let Theon have his fun.

“Well, well, look who's decided to grace us mere mortals with his presence. Long time no see, Stark. What's new in the kingdom of Winterfell?”

Robb rolled his eyes as he walked up to Theon and smacked him hard on the arm, taking pleasure in making Theon yelp out in pain.  Just because he understood and liked Theon didn't always mean he had to put up with all of his crap. Especially not when he was being obnoxious about something that Robb had no control over and that being his background. It wasn't his fault his five times grandfather had hit it big and had decided to name his house something as ostentatious as “Winterfell”. Nor was it his fault that the house was so bloody old and a model of architecture that the Queen's trust had declared it a monument in the area and was in the touristy brochures.

“There's no real change in Jon's condition, so we're back at school until something happens. Dad doesn't want us to keep missing school, since it's been a week and a half since the accident and the funeral.”

Theon made a noise at that as he rubbed his arm. The funeral of Lyanna Stark had seen the Stark, Tully and Flint families a mess. Theon was positive that he hadn't ever seen Ned Stark as grim as he had been that day. Catelyn, Robb's milf of a mum had been silently crying and the younger brats had been crying loudly the whole time. Robb and Sansa had only just held it together and Theon had had the privilege of dumping a drunk Robb into his bed the night after and babysitting him so that he didn't choke on his own vomit and cause more grief to his family.

Once the funeral had passed, the waiting game had begun. Jon was still in the hospital, but thankfully on his way to recovery. Even though he was still comatose, the doctors were more optimistic for him pulling through. That was all the family would focus on: The day that Jon would finally open his eyes. The shadows of what would come after would be dealt with when the time came for it, since they knew damned well that Jon wasn't going to come out of it unscathed.

It had been enough of a miracle that he had survived. The Starks knew better than to be greedy and ask for more, lest Jon be taken away from them completely. Theon had gotten a hint of that superstitious facet of the Stark family when he had seen the Rowan branches hanging over doorways as well as the weirwood tree in the backyard. Although his family had their own quirks, he never brought it up to Robb. He understood and for once, didn't turn it into an opportunity to troll his friend.

Besides, even if he and Jon didn't always see eye to eye when he used to come by the holidays, he hoped the kid would be somewhat okay when he woke up.

“Yeah, I agree with your dad. I'm tired of being your cover. Be prepared for payback.”

Robb rolled his eyes and punched Theon again as they made their way to their first class of the day.  Theon yowled, but didn't say much as he finished the last bit of his cigarette, put it out on the side of the wall and flicked the butt into a rubbish bin. It was a deserved hit, so he just walked beside Robb and made a passing commentary on everyone that was unlucky enough to be the target of his sharp tongue.

It felt good to be joking with Theon and walking down the halls chatting about class and it all being so _normal_. No long hours entertaining his siblings while waiting for the call that would either shatter his heart or lift his hopes high. No more days spent playing catch up and wondering how exactly Jon's life would change once he was out of the hospital.

As if he had sensed it, Theon turned to Robb.

“So what's going to happen with Jon? Is he going to live with you? Or is his dad going to take him?”

Robb shook his head violently at the question.

“Aunt Lyanna wanted him to stay with us if anything happened to her. Jon's dad never has been in the picture and Dad said that if he didn't want a healthy Jon before, he sure as hell isn't going to want a less than perfect son now.”

Robb spat out bitterly, making Theon raise an eyebrow at the reaction. Most of the time, Robb was usually easy going. But when it came to Jon's unknown father, Robb always seemed to lose his cool. Robb's mother had been a Tully from Hertfordshire and had passed down her family's clannishness down to her children. Robb may have been a Stark in name, but when it came down to protecting his family, he was all Tully.

Or maybe it was something more. Theon suspected that Robb's outrage on Jon's behalf may have been more than just family loyalty. He had seen Jon and could admit that the kid was pretty. Theon had also hung out with him and he hadn't missed the way that Robb's eyes tended to linger on Jon when he thought no one was looking. Theon wasn't sure if Jon felt the same way about Robb, since Jon kept his cards close to his chest. But he knew that if Jon had any brains or taste, they would have something going on sooner, rather than later.

So he had to wonder about Robb's anger, since Jon himself didn't really care, since his uncles had more than adequately filled in the gap. He wasn't as close to Brandon (Theon figured that _none_ of the Stark kids were due to the fact that Brandon was a douchebag and lived in Spain. As much as he himself could be a wanker, Theon had the best example of why _not_ to grow up to be as big of a douche as Brandon Stark. The man was charismatic and loaded, but he _was_ a total wanker) but idolized Benjen and had even talked about joining...

Theon blanched a bit as the thought hit him and he looked at Robb then, wondering if he should ever bring it up, but with the way that Robb's eyes were flashing, he was sure that was something Robb himself had thought of. In fact, he was sure that all of the Starks had figured it out. But they wouldn't dare say anything yet.

“Anyway, it doesn't matter what that fuckhead thinks. Once Jon gets out of the hospital, he's moving in with us. Probably going to come here as well once he's well enough to be here.”

Theon grinned at that bit of news.

“Excellent! I'll have two bitches at my beck and call! Excellent!”

Robb snorted.

“Good luck trying to pull that on Jon when it hasn't even worked on me.”

“A man can dream, Stark. A man can dream.”

~*~*~*~*

“Hey Sansa, do you want to go to Boots after school? I need to get some more nail varnish and eyeliner.”

Jeyne Poole, her best friend, asked her as they walked out of Biology and got caught up in the wave of students that were eager to get out and get home for the day. Sansa sighed and squinted at her watch as she and Jeyne moved out of the way and sat down on one of the benches in front of the main school doors.  It was only 3.45 and she wanted to do something else than go straight home and take care of her little brothers and sisters while trying to do her homework and watch movies with Robb and Theon.

“I'd love to, Jeyne, but I don't know if I can.”

Jeyne's face fell at that, making Sansa feel slightly guilty about abandoning her friend, but family came first. Her mother had drilled that into her head from an early age and she wasn't going to leave Robb or her parents in a lurch when they needed her help in making sure that the house was still running as smoothly as possible despite the fact that her father acted like he had received a mortal blow and her mother was only just keeping it together for all of them. Jon being unconscious was still wearing on her parents and on Robb, as much as he wanted to hide it from the rest of them. He didn't let them see how much he was hurting and Sansa suspected that only Theon was privy to exactly how much not having Jon awake and healthy was weighing on him.

“ _But you have a right to a life too, even if Jon's is on pause at the moment.”_

Sansa wanted to quash the thought, but her guilt as well as Jeyne's forlorn expression made her rethink the situation and pull out her mobile in its pastel case.

“Jeyne, tell you what: I'll call my mum and ask her if I can go for a bit, okay?”

Jeyne brightened up slightly as Sansa swiped her thumb on her mobile screen and found her mum's number.

She waited for exactly two rings when her mother answered it, her voice breathless and harried as she did.

“Mother? Is everything alright?”

Sansa asked, all thoughts of an outing with Jeyne gone out the window when she heard her mother's voice.

“Yes! More than alright! Jon's woken up!”

~*~*~*~*~

It was all white noise, with the occasional bright image and the flare of brightness and sound. It was swirling rapidly, slowing down, then swirling rapidly again as it finally coalesced into the hum and rhythmic beep of a machine and the coolness of stale, still air.

It was this that prompted him to finally try and open his eyes after having them closed for so long.

So he did.

Jon's first thought upon cracking his heavy eyelids is that everything is so damned _pale._ The ceiling, what little he could see from the corner of his eyes...It was all tepid colours that Lyanna wouldn't have been caught dead living with. His mother, Lyanna, loved bright and rich colours. Their most recent flat had brick and mustard walls and gauzy curtains she had picked up when they had been in Mumbai. This wasn't their flat.

He opened his eyes wider, to see where he was, but the light was too bright. He tried a couple of times to fully open his eyes until he was finally successful. He wasn't at home, that was obvious enough by the spartan and pale decor. As well as the hard bed he could feel himself lying on. Well, mostly, since sensation was sort of dulled after his hips.

Jon's eyebrows drew together as he tried to turn his head to take in his surroundings and found that he couldn't move his neck. He swivelled his eyes and saw the grey edges of machines and an stand were numerous bags of clear, coloured and... _Was that blood?_ Hung with lines leading down to his arms. He could feel the edges of medical tape holding the lines taught to his left arm, which was tied down to a board.

He was in a hospital, he realized dully. He had been hurt in some way and he had been hurt badly. Badly enough that he was hooked up to machines and lines and...Where was Lyanna? Where was his mother?

He fought to keep calm as he took in all of the sensations. He opened his mouth to call out, only to have his throat constrict around a tube. His eyes widened and he tried to sit up. He couldn't even get enough leverage to do so and that was when the machine started beeping and a nurse and his Uncle Ned and Aunt Catelyn rushed in.

Seeing his Uncle's grim face and bloodshot eyes and his aunt's rumpled appearance made his stomach drop. Why were they here in this hospital and not his mother? Had something happened to Lyanna? Was she also in the hospital? Or was she...?

He tried to breathe, tried to fight, but all that happened was that he felt like he was suffocating. Like he was drowning and he could hear his aunt and uncle arguing with someone and the beeping speeding up and then...

~*~*~*~*~*

Jon strained his eyes as far as he could to look out the window of his room. He was rewarded by the sight of a grey sky and the smallest specks of green on the bare black branches of the trees that he could see. It made him both anxious and nervous that the seasons had started to turn when he had been in a coma. It had been late winter when he and Lyanna had set out to surprise his cousins for an impromptu breakfast feast and a day of hanging out. Jon had been looking forward to spending the day with Robb and seeing his uncle and aunt again, and soaking in the atmosphere of a family that had put down roots and settled.

It wasn't something that he actively longed for, but he did like to be surrounded by it. Jon was fully aware of how lucky he was to have a mother like Lyanna, who hadn't thought twice about taking him on her assignments and made sure that despite having moved countless of times, he was well taken care of and was always on top of his schoolwork. He liked having stamps on his passport and seeing so many different countries that his classmates could only look at on the internet or read about in books or travel blogs.

But there was an undeniable charm about his cousin's well-established life as well.  Jon loved talking to his uncle Ned about his welding shop and eat his aunt's scones and full English breakfasts. To share a room with Robb and have whispered conversations that he hoped would eventually turn into more. Those then somehow ended up involving all of the older Stark siblings and would leave them breathless and giggling hysterically until either Uncle Ned or Uncle Benjen would show up to tell them to settle down and go to sleep.  It was tempting, when Lyanna was away, to have that permanently.

“Some fucking irony.” He muttered to himself as he raised his bruised arm and studied the paper bracelet around his wrist. His name, his birthdate and date of hospital admission was printed on it. The information should have been correct, except for the “Stark” that had been added to his last name. It looked like he was finally going to get a taste of that life.

But at a terribly high cost. Maybe too high.

He blinked his eyes and forced himself to not fall into that darkness that was creeping around the edges of his mind. His cousins were coming. His aunt and uncle would be there as well and he would be able to talk to them like he hadn't been able to when he had first gained consciousness. It was a bit overwhelming, if he was honest with himself, which he usually was.

Jon didn't want to admit it, but he was nervous at seeing his cousins again. More specifically, seeing Robb. He wiped his sweaty palms on the bedsheets and wished that he could be allowed to sit up instead of lying flat on his back and having only a choice view of the ceiling tiles. The brace that was keeping him still from chin to hips along with the numerous bandages and casts were the reason for this enforced view and stillness that hadn't ever been thrust upon him in his teenage years. To say that he was looking forward to his broken vertebrae healing and the spinal shock to subside was an understatement.

Apart from waking up to a world where his mum was no longer with him, the very real threat of paralysis from the waist down and being incapacitated had left him almost catatonic in shock. Jon hadn't been able to do anything except gasp in disbelief as his uncle Ned had explained in his quiet, measured tone, what the aftermath of the accident was.

Jon himself hadn't recalled much from the accident. Only the sound of his mother's voice speaking rapidly, almost maniacally as the car had slid on the ice. He recalled the shock in his mother's wide grey eyes as she was lit up from behind and then it was him in the hospital. The rest of the time was a blank spot in his memory and it scared him. Despite the doctor’s reassurances that it didn't mean brain damage and that he may eventually regain the memories, it chilled him to the core that the last memory he had of Lyanna was her looking afraid. That wasn't the way that he would ever want to remember her. Not when she was such a force of nature. Lyanna Snow-formerly Stark, gave her all to everything that she was doing: Her work, her love and her son.

Jon had never had to doubt that his mother loved him. He got proof of it every day in how she looked at him, or stroked his hair when he was dozing on the couch after he had been up too late studying. She didn't share his academic bent, but was proud that he could maintain his marks despite the nomadic existence they had together.

And now she was gone and he wouldn't move at a moment's notice again.

_“Or walk on his own again.”_

Jon grit his teeth, but didn't even deign to mull over that possibility. He wouldn't give up. Not when there was still a chance, as the doctors and his uncle had been careful to explain after dropping their bomb. His cord hadn't been severed. Yes, his vertebrae in his lower back had been broken, but they had been able to repair the damage and yes, there would be months of healing and rehab, but they were optimistic that he would be walking sooner, rather than later.

They had been careful to not get his or his family's hopes up, but they hadn't negated that it was still on the table. Until there was surety that he was going to be stuck in a wheelchair, Jon wasn't ready to give up. So he waited and tried to not be impatient, despite the fact that lying in bed and periodically being moved and tended to like he was a baby was humiliating and humbling. It was galling for a boy who had been taught to be fiercely independent to be fed, bathed and toileted. He made sure to thank the nurses and many of them had waved his thanks away. They all knew that he hadn't set out to need their help and hadn't ever been rude or impatient with them as they helped him.

Jon knew that if places were to be switched, he'd help with the same cheeriness and sensitivity that they displayed with him.  So he forced himself to remember that whenever he was feeling surly and embarrassed at being touched in places his own mother hadn't touched in years. It wasn't permanent and it was that mantra that helped him ignore the hopelessness that would come out of the blue to clutch at him. It was not permanent and it would soon pass. It would all pass.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The strain of looking out the window was starting to hurt his eyes and he didn't want to cut the visit short because of that. He was yearning for this for the past couple of days when they had barred the family from seeing him while they got the tubes out and ran the battery of tests that his condition necessitated. He had weathered the news with just his uncle at his side and he was desperate for the warmth and protection of the rest of the family he had left.

He was about to open his eyes when he heard the quick steps of someone who was trying to be extra quiet and not disturb him. They stopped at his bedside and peered down at him. Not Bran then. He was sure that Sansa would have said something and the scent was too feminine to be Robb or Uncle Ned. It was too sweet to be his aunt.

“Jon!” Arya had squealed when he opened his eyes and saw his cousin visibly restraining herself from swooping down on him and wrapping her arms around him like a handsy octopus.

“Do I look that messed up then?”

Arya's eyes shimmered briefly with tears at his joke and Jon felt immediately guilty for teasing her.

“Yeah, you do Jon Snow. You're a regular fragile blossom, that you are. Seems like we have to take care of you better if you're to survive the winter.”

Robb replied, easing the awkwardness that Arya's reaction had caused. Jon was pathetically grateful for that sixth sense that Robb tended to have in regards to knowing when to push Jon and when to cover for him.

“Not as delicate as you, Stark.” Jon quipped back, making Robb laugh, only to cut it short when his aunt and uncle as well as Sansa and Bran, stood close to his bedside. It was a necessary evil, since he couldn't see anyone otherwise, but it brought home how fucked he was, with his family staring down at him as he lay helpless in the hospital with an uncertain future ahead of him.

“Oh Jon! We were so worried about you! It's so good to see you're going to be fine!”

Sansa gushed, her eyes a bit shiny with emotion and her hands tightening around the handles of a shopping bag that he could just barely see in his line of sight.

Jon cleared his throat and caught Robb's eye. His cousin got the hint and casually took a step back, gently pulling Arya with him. Sansa pulled Bran back at the same time, knowing full well what Robb was doing. His parents caught the subtle hint and did the same. Jon smiled weakly at Robb, who smiled back in return. Despite the distance that usually punctuated the relationship between them, Jon was glad that he could always count on Robb to have his back and know when he needed to get bailed out and vice versa.

“Jon...We're so glad to see you doing better, lad.” His Uncle Ned was the next to speak, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he got the words out, his Yorkshire accent going so thick with emotion that Jon was embarrassed. His uncle was as stoic as they came. A proper hard, Northern, bloke. To see him being close to tears was a new thing for Jon and he immediately felt guilty for making his uncle get all emotional and near tears.

Jon opened his mouth to paradoxically comfort one of the father figures in his life when his aunt spoke up.

“Jon...We know it's hard to take all of this in right now, but we want for you to know that we're going to be here for you every step of the way. You don't need to worry about anything other than getting better.”

Jon swallowed hard at that and caught Robb's shocked look at the words. It wasn't that there was bad blood between himself and his aunt. But he couldn't really recall a time that had them interacting on a deeper level than greetings, exchanging presents, or pleasantries. He always could sense that his aunt disapproved of him and his mother in some way. It was a subtle thing that he couldn't ever really bring up to any of his cousins.

He had mentioned it once or twice to his mother, who had only tightened her mouth at that and taken a sip of her coffee before she made a reply.

“Your aunt had a different upbringing and way of seeing things. Even though she's moved to a completely different place and interacts with different people, those ideas are hard to let go of. Especially when it comes to you and I.”

Lyanna hadn't elaborated more on that and even if Jon had had the courage to bring it up again, Lyanna wouldn't have spoken about it. For her, the topic was closed and she didn't dwell or look back on things that she had turned the page on. So he simply kept his mouth shut and tried to not let his aunt's standoffishness bother him. Besides, it wasn't as if he was interacting with her on a day to day basis. He could deal.

“I'm sure that Jon knows that, mother. He's a Stark and Starks always take care of each other.”

Robb cut in smoothly, giving Sansa a chance to dive right in and pull out something from the shopping bag that she had with her.

“Speaking of taking care of you, Bran and I brought you something to make this place less clinical and a bit more homey.”

As if on cue, Bran took a corner of the blanket that Jon recognized from his times at the Stark home and felt himself getting emotional again. He wasn't usually this weepy, he thought as he watched his cousins unfold the new blanket that was an exact replica of the fuzzy wolf blanket that had somehow become his whenever he stayed over and lay it over the washed out blue hospital blankets covering him and all of his injuries.

“Thank you. It's great.” Jon whispered, blinking rapidly to hide the sting of tears as Sansa and Bran tucked it under his chin. Sansa smiled at him, patting his shoulder before moving away.

“Yeah,well, we couldn't bring the other one. I think Nymeria pissed on it and Lady uses it as her nest now, so we had to get you a new one. Maybe even Summer had a go at it. In fact, I think Lady and Summer-”

“Arya!”

Sansa spluttered, making Bran laugh and Robb turn his face away, but the shaking of his shoulders gave his own laughter away. Jon's grin was the one thing that kept Arya from getting in trouble. Jon knew that his Uncle Ned saw it as a good sign that he was actually smiling despite his injuries and his loss. Jon also knew that it was something that they were going to have to talk about now that he was more lucid and less under the influence of heavy painkillers like he had been when he had just woken up.

Ned looked at his wife, wondering if it was the time that they would have to broach the subject with Jon. His wife shook her head and looked at the clock, mouthing out “five” before they turned back to the scene before them.

“Just so you know, I wouldn't let Summer do anything like that to Lady. Arya's a big liar.”

Bran added as seriously as he could, with all the gravitas that a twelve year old could put into the statement when his dog was being slandered, making Jon bite his lip and Robb snort while Sansa looked mortified at having her poor dog slandered.

“Well, it's true! If anything, I think it was Grey Wind-”

“And although Jon would like to hear more about the dogs, I think it's time that we talked to your cousin privately. Robb, can we trust you to get your brother and sisters some treats from the Starbucks across the street?”

His uncle asked, his tone close to the usual briskness that Jon was used to from him.

Robb swallowed down his laughter and immediately got serious, taking the twenty pound notes from his mother and starting to herd Bran and Arya out the door while Sansa gave Jon another comforting pat goodbye.

“I'll be seeing you soon, Snow. Don't get in trouble.” Robb teased Jon before he nodded and got a protesting and sulky Bran and Arya out the door. Sansa followed and closed the door behind her, leaving Jon alone with his aunt and uncle.

Jon had expected it the moment that he had seen the addendum to his name on the hospital bracelet and appreciated that his uncle wanted to address the matter.

“I know this might be a bit sudden, but we wanted to talk about living arrangements and future concerns with you.”

“Yeah. I...Sure. I mean, I guess Lyanna would have wanted me to stay with you and Aunt Catelyn, right?”

Ned and Catelyn exchanged glances. “Yes. Her will stated that was her wish. We did have to contact your father about the situation, though.”

Jon's eyes widened at that, his mouth going into a thin line. “What did he say?”

Ned sighed. “He said he was fine with you being here and then moving in with us at Winterfell. He will, of course, pay any expenses that Lyanna's insurance doesn't cover.”

“Somehow I'm not surprised at that. It wasn't as if he did anything else when mother was alive.” Jon replied, lifting an unsteady hand to brush away the tears of anger at the news. He had never really seen his father, the so called silver prince. Nor did he want to. Especially not when he stumbled upon the news articles about what a scandal it had been for a minor royal to have had a child out of wedlock by a daughter of some trumped up Northern welder.

Jon had never told Lyanna that he knew about the circumstances of his birth. He didn't think she needed that kind of pain in her life. Not when Robert Baratheon had screwed her over and she had been too busy to date anyone else. At least that had been the excuse she had given. But Jon suspected that she never wanted to be hurt like that again. Lately though, she had been happy with a bloke from the Spanish army she had met while covering some festival in Granada. He'd have to be told, Jon realized belatedly. Later. He'd do it.

Ned laughed softly. “That we can agree on, lad. Well, the thing is that you will be staying here for some months and then moving to a rehabilitation centre not far from the house. It will be close enough that if you choose to, you can move in with us rather than being institutionalized. We're fixing up a room for you at home when that happens.”

Jon was confused at that point. “Why? I mean, why can't I stay with Robb like I used to? I mean, it’s not like I’m going to be-”

His mouth clamped shut when he realized why they needed to “fix him up a room”, as his uncle put it. Robb's room was on the third floor, along with Bran and Rickon's room. The girls had the second floor and the master bedroom was there as well. The guest rooms were the only ones on the bottom floor. Where he would now be, instead of Robb's room.

His mother's old room would be his, since it had an ensuite that could easily be made more accessible to someone with mobility problems. Problems that could very well be permanent despite the optimistic prognosis he was getting. Despite his determination to walk again, Jon knew that he had a good chance of never doing that again.

Ned got a pained look on his face and Jon smiled weakly, lowering his hand onto the bed and willing it to not curl up to show his chagrin. They both had come to the same conclusion at the same time and both tried to smooth over their embarrassment at the realization. Catelyn cleared her throat and was about to step in when Jon spoke up again.

“That would be great, Uncle Ned. I'm looking forward to moving in with you guys and hanging out with the cousins again.”

Jon stated, trying to be genuinely excited about moving in with his cousins. It had been a long nurtured wish to put down roots in the area, so he did mean it. He just hated the reasons as to why it was happening.

“We're...We're glad to have you live with us, Jon. Lyanna would have been happy to know that you'll be taken care of, no matter what.” His aunt replied, stepping in closer and intertwining her hand with her husband’s.

Jon bit his lip and tried to push the grief of his mother's passing away for the moment. He needed to have this conversation! He needed to know what was going to happen once he was out. Would he be able to catch up in school? Would he lose a year? Would he be able to apply and take admissions test as planned?

“What about school?”

“We are arranging for a tutor to come and catch you up. You'll be able to take your end of term tests when you are ready. We don't want to put too much on you at this time. You need to heal first. School is important, but not at the detriment of your health.”

His aunt explained and even though Jon wanted to argue against it, he felt an overwhelming wave of tiredness hit him. As if fate and his body had conspired to prove his aunt right. He yawned and blinked, his eyes feeling heavy all of the sudden.

“We'll be leaving you to rest now, Jon. We'll be back tomorrow to talk more about things, awright?”

Jon tried to nod and was again reminded that he couldn't.

“All right.”

He was asleep before they were at the door.

~*~*~*~*~

“He's not as badly injured as I thought.” Arya commented as she took a slurp of her hot chocolate, licking her lips clean of the heavy cream on top of it.

“Yeah. Jon's a fighter. He'll get out of there soon enough.” Bran added, carefully scooping out the leftover cream and licking his spoon clean before taking a small sip.

Robb nodded absently and looked at his other sister. Sansa was absentmindedly stirring her chai latte and frowning out the window.

“Hey...You alright?”

Robb asked softly. He cast a glance at their younger siblings and was glad to see that Arya and Bran had started their own conversation.

“Huh? Yeah. I guess. As good as anyone can be after seeing their cousin in the hospital. How about you?”

She asked, her eyes going down immediately at her cup. She bit her lip and sighed heavily.

“I'm sorry Robb. I didn't mean to be rude or a bitch. It's just...It's Jon. Out of anyone, could you imagine it happening to someone like Jon? He's so careful! And now he's there, in a hospital bed and he could be paralysed for the rest of his life. It's just cruel for it to have happened to him.”

Robb swallowed hard and looked down at the heavily sugared and creamed coffee he had ordered after his brain blanked out over the choices in Starbucks. He had been thinking the exact same thing ever since he heard the news of his cousin's accident. Seeing him in the flesh had made those thoughts come back at full force. He wanted to lash out and punish whoever was responsible for putting his cou- _Jon_ in the hospital and possibly crippling him for life. He wanted to hurt whoever had hurt him. But the problem was that there was no one to hurt. It was just an unfortunate accident. No one would have guessed that there was black ice on the road. No one would have guessed that the other driver had fallen asleep and was unable to control his car.

There was nothing to blame. It had happened and they had to deal with it. Jon was a victim of a shitty situation and the only way to help Jon was to support him. Jon was alone in the world and despite the fact that he wasn't as effusive as most people, Robb knew that was just the face his cousin presented to the world and was really a softy. It was going to be rough, the next few months coming up and Robb promised himself that he would be there for Jon through all of them.

Robb's heart ached for Jon and he wanted to do everything that he possibly could to ease the transition for Jon. He wanted Jon to be like he was before: Healthy, happy and independent. The boy that he was starting to admit his feelings about. The boy that he wanted once again to share late night pub crawls with, conversations and...and kisses under the blankets. They had never done the last, but Robb wasn’t going to put off confessing his feelings to Jon any longer. He nearly lost Jon. He wasn’t going to let this second chance slip past his fingers again.

It wasn't something that he had planned on happening. He thought he had liked girls. Always liked girls. But he knew that he was fucked when Jon had come back from spending a winter in Brazil when they were fourteen and he started looking at Jon in a different light. He hadn’t really thought much of it.  He just thought that it was because he preferred his cousins more than his Uncle Brandon's kids, who were a little too weird and too distant to really connect to. Jon was cool and a great guy and so damned...attractive. He wasn’t going to lie that was part of the package, but it wasn’t just his looks that attracted Robb. Jon was a good and decent person.

He cared deeply for Jon. He was crystal clear on that. Just like he knew that he would do everything in his power to care for him and aid him. From the world, from his family...Even from himself if he had to.

But right now, he had to get his sister and the rest of his siblings on board.

“I know. Believe me, I feel the same way. But it's done. Jon's going to need us to help him out during all this. He's lost not just Aunt Lyanna, but his whole way of life. It's going to be hard for him and we have to stick together to make it easier on him, okay?”

The last was added for the benefit of Arya and Bran, who had stopped talking and were now intently listening to their oldest siblings. Knowing they were caught out, they simply nodded and sipped on their drinks until their parents came to pick them up and take them home.

~*~*~*~*~

“How does it feel to be back?” Robb asked as Jon transferred himself carefully to the bed with a quiet sigh of relief. He knew he had overdone it by the protesting twinge in his back and the stiffness of his legs. But he hadn't wanted to lie down when it was his first time doing something so utterly mundane and normal as movie night with his family. He had yearned for that closeness for so long and he didn't want to give it up so easily.

He had missed talking to Robb as well and hadn't had the heart to tell his cousin he was worn out and ready to go to sleep at any moment's notice. At least he had taken care of his pre-bedtime needs before Robb had decided to come to Jon's room and check if he wanted to talk away from the rest of the family.  He was touched and didn't want for Robb to leave just yet, despite his arms giving warning twinges that he had pushed himself a bit too far. He figured that he wasn't too far gone to get himself ready for bed and talk to Robb also.

“Other than wishing my mum was here, great.” Jon replied with an honesty that he couldn't have used with Sansa or his Aunt Catelyn.  He figured that Robb was far more mature about certain things than Sansa, so he wasn't worried about being blunt and candid with his cousin. Sure enough, Robb's mouth twisted and he nodded.

“I know. Aunt Lyanna was...She was bloody special. I wish she was still with you. No one should have to lose their mum.”

It was a brutally heartfelt sentiment that made Jon have to swallow a couple of times in order to not cry. Robb was right. It was still a sucker punch to the gut and there were nights when Jon woke up gasping and with tears in his eyes as the knowledge that his mother was dead hit him again. Everyone told him that it would take time for that blinding grief to subside to a manageable pain that he'd be able to cope with. It would get easier, but Jon wished that he knew when that would be the case.

It hurt to wake up and know that he had lost his mother over and over again. To have those dreams that they were sitting at the river side in Thailand. Him with a lime drink and her with a beer, her dark glasses pushed up on the dark riot of curls pinned to the back of her head and both of them laughing as the sun went down. To see her running down the white beach and him right behind her with sparklers in his hands as they celebrated some festival or other with the locals.

It killed, to have those dreams and then wake up in his bed in Yorkshire, with his posters pinned up to the maize and red walls and his wheelchair right next to the bed. Jon still couldn't decide which of the dreams were worse: The ones where his mother was alive,or the ones where he was still able to run, jump, and play football. Both were cruel, but he still had to decide which one was worse.

He missed being able to move freely and the frustration of not being able to just get up and _do_ something grated on his nerves daily. He had often thought that he was a patient guy, but the past six months had sorely tested that belief. Just like he had learned to swallow his pride and ask for help when his body decided that it wasn't going to co-operate for some reason or other. He couldn't quite pinpoint the occasion, but he had seen that when his back was twinging and his legs stiff, he would be useless and fast.

“Hey, Jon. You going to be all right? Do you need any help?” Robb's voice snapped him out of maudlin brooding.

He sighed and tried to sit up so that he could slip out of his t-shirt, but his arms decided to give out at that moment, leaving him flat on his back and with Robb hovering anxiously above him. Jon wanted to scream at that point and did internally curse his body for not working properly in front of Robb. Robb, his perfect, sweet, and too damned good cousin. Robb, whom he had been forced to admit in an earlier counselling session that he had a desperate crush on.

He had thought he had been embarrassed when it had happened in front of Uncle Ned and a nurse when he had needed to bathe the third week he had been in the rehab centre. Jon hadn't been able to look at his uncle for the duration of the visit. Even though he knew that his uncle understood, he still couldn't shake the shame of needing to be taken care of as if he was a mere baby. It was irrational, but it still stung.

Just like it stung now that he looked up at Robb and smiled wryly.

“Is that offer of help still open? I'm afraid that my arms and hands just decided to take a break on me.”

Jon explained ruefully, trying to lift his arms and getting nothing but a small flopping gesture. Robb's face flushed, then paled slightly as he came closer.

“What do you need me to do?” He asked briskly.

“I need you to undress me and get me into bed. Robb, I'm so-”

Jon apologized, but Robb's warm hand on his shoulder silenced him.

“Jon, no. Don't feel like you're a burden. Please. I'll always help you, Jon. Always.”

Robb replied, his hand tightening on his shoulder, making Jon look directly at him. Later on, neither of them would be able to say what kind of look it was. Only that they had been waiting for it for what felt like all of their lives. Robb's pupils constricted as he returned the look that Jon was giving him. Neither of them spoke as Robb sat on the edge of the bed, his grip still firm on Jon's shoulder as he leaned over and kissed Jon.

It was a light kiss, barely a touch of the lips before he pulled away. Jon blinked at him, his eyes huge and dark in his face as Robb moved away. Robb looked shocked and wild and his mouth opened and closed in shock and at a loss of what to do next. His hand slipped off of Jon's shoulder and he turned to go.

“Don't. Not yet, Robb.”

Robb blinked and his mouth worked before he was able to stutter out. “Are...Are you sure?”

“I've never been surer of it.”

Jon's reply was all the encouragement that Robb needed to kiss him breathless. They kissed for as long as Jon could keep awake to enjoy it, but Robb stopped soon after Jon's eyes fluttered in exhaustion. As much as he regretted pulling away from his cousin and finally getting a taste of the intimacy that he had longed to have with him for so long, he knew that Jon needed to rest. Duty trumped his own desires, so he did the right thing as he always had.

“I think I'd better help you get ready for bed. As much as I don't want to.”

Robb stated as he smoothed back Jon's long and messy curls.

“I know. But later. When I'm not ready to crash and not quite awake to enjoy it.”

Jon replied quietly.

“I don't mind.” Robb replied in a low voice, ready to continue if that was what Jon wanted.

Jon smiled faintly. “But I do.”

Robb nodded. “All right. So where do we start?”

~*~*~*~*

Jon was sketching at his desk when he read a rapping on his open bedroom door. He looked up from the grey and black sketch he was making of a character from one of the series he was currently reading and smiled when he saw it was his Uncle Ned standing there. He was smiling and holding a light brown envelope that usually held records and other important kinds of letters.

“I thought you might want to look at these right away. They just got here today.”

Uncle Ned told him as he came closer and put the envelope on the side of his desk. Jon's pulse quickened as he read the postmark on the envelope. His school records. He ripped open the envelope and took out the transcripts, reading them with bated breath.

“Is it good news?”

Uncle Ned asked. Jon nodded while a small and pleased smile crossed his face.

“I passed my term. Even with missing a chunk of it. I passed. I'll be able to go in the same year as Robb.”

Jon exclaimed happily, pushing the twinge of sorrow that his own mother couldn't have seen his test scores.

At the mention of Robb, his uncle's face flushed slightly and he shifted from foot to foot.

“Speaking of Robb...There is something I need to ask you.”

Jon's face pinked, since he knew what was coming next. They had tried to be subtle about the slowly blooming relationship between himself and Robb, but it looked like they hadn’t been as subtle as they thought they had been. He put the transcript down on top of his desk and swallowed before he looked at his uncle.

“How long have you and Jon been in a relationship?”

Jon’s face burned as he swallowed hard. “Just since last month.”

Ned nodded. “I suspected that you both had feelings for each other long before, that’s why it’s not as big of a surprise as it otherwise would have been. I just want you to be careful with each other. “

Jon swallowed hard as he nodded. “I know, Uncle Ned. He’s...He means everything to me and I won’t let him go so easily. I nearly died without telling him how I felt about him. I won’t waste this second chance.”

He looked down at the half completed drawing that Ned now saw was a stylized portrait of Lyanna.

“She didn’t get that with Oberyn. I won’t let the same thing happen with me and Robb.”

Ned’s eyes closed halfway at Jon’s words. He recalled Oberyn’s shocked grief at the news of Lyanna’s death and of Jon’s condition. He had seen the loss heavily etched in his face and the blankness in his eyes when he had revealed the plans they had to be married.  

He understood.

“I get it. And I don’t blame you either. Robb has always been the happiest with you. Not even with Jeyne did he look as happy and as _complete_ as he does with you. I hope that you both stay happy. It’s hard work, but it can be done.”

Jon nodded, his blush fading at his uncle Ned’s words. He was glad to have gotten his uncle’s approval, despite Robb insisting that it wasn’t necessary.

Yes, he knew that Uncle Ned loved him almost as much as he loved his own children, but Jon was all too aware that things changed damned quickly when there were relationships involved. He had learned that first hand from dating Ygritte during his exchange stint in Barra. He had never been so thankful that his mother had insisted on a six month stint rather than a full year. The last two months had been awkward, to say the least and he had stayed out with his mates more than he had been at the house after he and Ygritte had broken up.

“Does Aunt Catelyn know?”

Uncle Ned shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Will you tell her?”

Ned raised an eyebrow at the question. “Do you want me to tell her?”

Jon shook his head. “I’d rather we tell her ourselves, if that’s alright.”

Ned smiled faintly at his nephew’s earnestness, but he knew that Jon was right. Cat, gods love her, had different plans for what Robb’s partner would be. She had been quite disappointed when Robb’s relationship with Jeyne Westerling had floundered.  Just like she had been disappointed when Alys and Robb had a horrific break-up and had been hoping that Robb would be keen on Dacey Mormont next. She hadn’t ever let herself see exactly how close Robb and Jon really were.

“I know you have had a lot to deal with recently and I trust your judgement. Just tread carefully.”

Ned warned his nephew, despite feeling a stab of regret at having to do so. It wasn’t that his wife was an ogre, but she was southern and conservative. She also was fearfully possessive of all her children and if there was a chance that Robb would be hurt, she’d prevent it as ruthlessly as possible.

Even if it meant cutting out a nephew that she had cared for before.

Ned hoped that it wouldn’t come to that.

~*~*~*~*

Robb had heard the faint clicking of heels on the floor, but had been too interested in exploring Jon’s mouth and making him give out those breathy gasps he made whenever Robb kissed the juncture of his neck and shoulder. It sent shocks of arousal straight to his dick when Jon made those noises and Robb was keen on hearing them over and over again until he was able to slide Jon onto his bed and slip into him. He was so engrossed that the possibility of anyone being in the house that morning was quite forgotten.

He thought that they were safe until he heard the sound of ceramic shattering on the ceramic tiles of the kitchen, making him look up and stare directly into the shocked eyes of his mother.

“Oh!” Jon exclaimed, seemingly turning to stone. Robb swallowed as he straightened up and stood beside Jon, not letting go of his hand as they faced his mother.

Catelyn’s eyes darted back and forth between her nephew and her cousin, her recently pale face going red as the blood rushed back in bright splotches under her usually porcelain skin.

“Would you care to explain what I just saw happening between you two? Or can I simply chalk it up to experimentation between cousins?”

She asked in as level a voice as she could manage at that time.

Robb swallowed nervously as he then looked at Jon, who had gone deathly pale.

“No experimentation. Jon is my boyfriend. We’ve been dating for a month now. I love him, mum. I’ve always loved him and I know he feels the same.”

Robb replied, his voice steady and determined, with only a slight tremor as he spoke. He hadn’t ever had to have these kind of conversations with his mother like his siblings had. He had always been in his mother’s favour, according to Arya and Sansa. So to have a showdown with Jon beside him after they had gotten caught in the act in the kitchen was new territory for him.

His mother sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. It was a good sign that she hadn’t started shouting then. He was just worried as to what was going to come next. She may have been a warm woman, but her temper was something to be reckoned with when riled.

“Robb...Jon...Are you sure you’re not mistaking familial affection with love? You’re both so young! How can you even know your own mind?”

Robb’s uneasiness disappeared and outrage replaced it.

“I’ve known for a long time, mum. SInce I knew what love was. I’ve always loved Jon. Ever since I knew what it was, he was the one person I knew for sure that I loved.  I know this isn’t what you saw for me, or Jon. But don’t belittle what he and I have because of that.”

Jon and Catelyn were quite stunned by Robb’s pronouncement.

Jon had hoped that had been the case with Robb. But he hadn’t really _wanted_ to know for sure. He had been content that after all those years of pining, they were finally together. The past was gone and he was just content to be able to have a future with the love of his life. Knowing how long Robb has had the same feelings for him is like the icing on the cake. He feels a warm glow in his chest and he can’t help the smile that spreads across his face.

A smile that fades as quickly as it appeared when his aunt fixes her eyes on him.

“Of course you’d be pleased, you little bastard! Not only did you ruin your life, now you’re intent on ruining my son’s life!”

The words were as brutal as a slap across the face and Jon felt them as keenly as if his aunt had physically attacked him. His eyes watered and he swallowed hard, his throat feeling raw and tight at the same time. He needed to get out of that kitchen and away from her. He knew that it was just disappointment making her talk to him that way, since in her own distant way, she had been good to him. But this...No.

He put his hands on the rims of his wheelchair, determined to leave the kitchen, but is stopped by Robb’s hand on the back of his chair. Jon looked up in time to see Robb’s face turn a red as bright as his hair. His eyes are bright blue flames in his face and Jon is shocked. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen Robb be so enraged in his life.

It scares him on one level and on another, it confirms that he made the right choice in letting Robb in.

“How dare you say such callous things to him? After all that has happened? How could you be so cruel to the man I love? If anyone is to ruin my life, mother...It would be _YOU!!!_ ”

It’s loud and explosive, that shout and enough to bring Ned into the kitchen to investigate the reason for that outburst.  Catelyn reels back a few steps, her face showing the surprise at being shouted at by her perfect oldest son.

“What’s going on here? Robb? Catelyn?”

Ned asked, his eyes taking in the tableau before him and making him groan inwardly as he realized that despite Jon’s intentions, Catelyn had found in a less than tactful way that her oldest son and his cousin were together.

“I just caught your son and his _cousin,_ ” Catelyn spat out the word, making everyone in the kitchen flinch at the venom she managed to infuse the word with, “Making out in the kitchen. Ned, I know I agreed for Jon to move in...But in light of the circumstances, of him _corrupting_ Robb...I think it’s time he left Winterfell.”

Jon swallowed hard and Robb’s face turned an even darker shade of red. Ned’s eyes narrowed at his wife’s request.

“Cat, I don’t think that’s a reasonable request. I think we all need to calm-”

“No. I want Jon out of this house. The sooner the better. This matter is _not_ up to discussion!”

She walked out of the kitchen, leaving the three of them looking at each other in dismay before Ned sighs heavily.

“Look, I’ll talk to her. Don’t worry about this. It wasn’t your fault. Just clean up here and I’ll get it all sorted, alright?”

Robb and Jon only stared at him dumbly as he followed his wife to talk some sense into her. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Robb knelt down in front of Jon and looked up at his boyfriend.

“I’m not letting you go anywhere alone, Jon. If she thinks that I’m going to let you that easily, she has another thing coming. I nearly lost you once. I’m not ever letting it happen again.”

He stood up, but not before pressing a kiss on Jon’s forehead and making Jon’s pulse race.

“What do you have in mind, then Robb?”

Robb’s eyes were steely blue as he looked at his boyfriend.

“We’re going to leave and damn the consequences.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Robb answered the door when Ned and Benjen knocked on it.  He was sleep rumpled and slightly pale, but didn’t look shocked. Only resigned.

“Jon’s made tea, if you want it.” Was all he said as he moved deeper into the bedsit that he and Jon had been hiding in for the past five days in London. He pulled the cardigan he had thrown over his shirt tighter as he moved to sit on the only chair in the room. Jon was sitting on the bed, his wheelchair folded up in the corner since it took up too much room. Ned noticed exactly how small the room was when he and Benjen were completely inside and the door had been closed.

“Tea, uncles?” Jon aked, pointing to the cheap kettle and the poundland mugs that were sitting on the small card table. Tinned milk and a box of PG Tips accompanied it and the pitiful sight of the cheapness and bareness of the room tugged at Ned’s heart. He hated that Catelyn’s anger had driven them to this. Hated that he had to ask Benjen to pull strings and come on his leave to help locate the boys.

If it hadn’t been for Jon still keeping his own mobile and him texting Theon, they wouldn’t have been able to get a trace and a location. Ned winced as he recalled how big of a debt he had incurred for that piece of sleuthing by one of Benjen’s old navy pals that had gone into police work at the end of his first stint.

Ned hoped that this was the end of it. That they could come home and settle on a compromise. Even though Catelyn was still angry, she had calmed down enough to regret her actions and to recant on her harsh request. She hadn’t outright promised that she had either accepted or understood Robb and Jon’s position, but she had calmed down enough to realize that this was a battle she wasn’t going to win.  Especially when it was obvious that Robb wasn’t joking when she found his mobile alongside his house keys on his desk and only a small duffle bag’s worth of clothes missing.

“No thanks, Jon.” Benjen beat Ned to the punch as he looked around the dim room.

Robb made a small noise in the back of his throat as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“I’m not going back, Dad. I don’t care what mother may say. I’m not going back without Jon. I’m not changing my mind about that.” Robb added, his face dark as he looked at his father and uncle.

“You won’t be, Robb. Your mother overreacted to what she walked to in the kitchen. While I can understand her distress, I wasn’t pleased with the ultimatum she issued regarding you and Jon. It was not appropriate and she understands that.”

Robb’s frowned lightened at that, while Jon’s face remained carefully neutral.

“Why isn’t she here telling me this rather than you and Uncle Benjen? If her words are meant to carry any weight, then she should be here to say them.”

Ned and Benjen exchanged a glance at that.

“The house was in chaos when you two snuck off that day. She’s been trying to keep your siblings under control. I can assure you Robb and Jon, that she regrets what she said to you both. All she, your uncle, and I want, is for both of you to come home. South London isn’t a safe place for anyone not from here.”

Benjen laughed shortly at that understatement. “I’m honestly impressed that you guys made it this long here, to be honest. It took calling a few favours in to get your location.”

Robb flushed at that and looked at Jon, his admiration clear in his face as he did.

“It was all Jon. I didn’t realize how sheltered I was until we got here. Jon knew what to do. He’s the one that got us the room, the food, everything.”

Ned and Benjen looked at Jon with respect and a bit of worry. Exactly where had Jon picked up those skills?

“Mum thought that it would go better if I learned how to handle myself in places like this. Came in handy in Sao Paulo, that’s for sure.”

Benjen shook his head with a sad smile on his face. Trust Lyanna to have taught her son such skills. He should have disapproved, but if it had kept both of them safe, he wasn’t going to complain. He snuck a glance at Ned and saw by his older brother’s expression that he too, had come to the same conclusion.

“So...Are you both willing to come home?”

Robb and Jon exchanged another glance of silent communication that lasted for a few moments before Jon jerked his head in a sharp nod that had Robb sighing before he too, nodded at his father’s question.

Ned let out a silent sigh or relief at that, since he hadn’t been sure that they would acquiesce to leave when he did find it. Or if they had said no, he didn’t think that he could have borne to let them go without a fight. He and Benjen had discussed the possibility of hauling them out bodily from the bedsit and Ned was utterly relieved that it hadn’t come to that. Benjen may have been forgiven, but he didn’t think he would get off so easily.

He cleared his throat and looked at his son and nephew.

“So how do you want to begin?”

~*~*~*~*~

“Do you think we made the right decision in coming back?” Robb asked Jon as they lay in Jon’s bed, some quiet music on low as they grabbed some quiet time by themselves.

“I’m not liking the fact that we got in trouble for not sending home messages or calling, but otherwise...No. I don’t. As much as we wanted to think we could make it on our own...You have to admit that we were woefully underprepared to deal in that environment.”

Robb looked like he wanted to protest, but only nodded.

“Mum seems to have calmed down now too.” Robb offered.

Jon had to agree that Cat had. After the initial blow up and the shock of losing Robb and Jon to the rough part of London, she had swallowed her pride and apologized once they had arrived in Yorkshire. Although Robb was still quite angry on Jon’s behalf, both sides had agreed to a truce. It wasn’t perfect, but it allowed everyone to live in relative peace.

“It won’t really matter in the long run, Robb. We’ll be in Uni soon. If things get worse, I’m sure that Uncle Ben will let us sublet his flat in Sheffield.”

Jon pointed out, while Robb hummed a noise of agreement.

“I hope it doesn’t get weird. I’ve not really been at odds with mum before. Never really had any reason to be.”

“Maybe you should take tips from Arya. She seems to have the technique downpat.”

Robb laughed, pinching Jon at the same time and making him squeak out.

“But seriously, it happens. I didn’t always see eye to eye with my mum. You can’t always agree with people and when you disagree, you compromise. I mean, we didn’t exactly do that the first two nights we were in London.”

“True.” Robb agreed, remembering the first knock-down argument between them as to where they should go after London. They hadn’t come to an agreement before they had been taken back to Yorkshire, but had agreed to cool down and think about it before they made a decision.

“It feels weird because it’s still fresh. Once you get some distance from the original situation, things will get better. I promise.”

“I know and thank you for listening to me. Even though I feel like I’m whinging a bit when you have more on your plate.”

“Hey...No, mate. Don’t think that. Equal partners, remember?”

Robb buried his face into Jon’s curls, breathing in his scent of shampoo and musk before agreeing.

“Whatever happens, yeah?”

Jon added, looking up at Robb, his eyes dark and serious as he spoke.

There was a quiet kind of urgency in Jon’s words that made Robb’s heart twinge. He lifted his head and looked at Jon, who was trying to look nonchalant and failing miserably.  Rob inhaled a breath sharply, dread blooming in the pit of his stomach as his mind raced to the only conclusion possible.

“Jon-”

But Jon shook his head and instead curled up against Robb so that his head was under Robb’s chin.

“I can’t talk about it now, Robb. Not yet. Please. I just need a bit more time.”

Robb pressed another kiss onto Jon’s curls.

“Okay. Just let me know when you’re ready.”

“I will.”

END


End file.
